Opener Lab
CLAST vs TRACE
See which word leaves you with the easier game.
Both words are in the current screen of 182 openers, tested against 2,358 answers. Exact misses rank first; average guesses among wins break ties.
The same solver played from both openers. TRACE has the lower average in games solved within six: 3.46 guesses to 3.47 for CLAST.
Looking only at the opening row, TRACE has higher entropy (5.82 bits versus 5.36). That describes first-guess separation, not the full solve on its own.
Against 1,858 past Wordle answers, TRACE left the smaller first-guess group on 63% of dates; CLAST did so on 35%, with the rest tied.
| Metric | CLAST | TRACE |
|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 95.0% | 96.8% |
| Information | 5.36 bits | 5.82 bits |
| Avg remaining | 118 words | 76 words |
| Avg turns | 3.47 | 3.46 |
| Missed in six | 0 | 0 |
| Win rate | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Tier | B | S |
Head to head on past answers
We tried both openers against 1,858 past Wordle answers and counted which one left fewer possibilities after the first guess.
Across those answers, CLAST left an average of 117 candidates and TRACE an average of 72.
The most recent test was Wordle #1857 on July 20, 2026, when the answer was DIVER. CLAST came back ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ and kept 379 words in play. TRACE came back ⬛🟨⬛⬛🟨 and kept 117 words.
What to expect from the first guess
| Outcome | CLAST | TRACE |
|---|---|---|
| First-turn solve* | 0% | 0.04% |
| At least one green | 36.9% | 42.1% |
| Any green or yellow | 83.9% | 89.3% |
| Whole row gray | 16.1% | 10.7% |
| Worst case answers left | 379 | 253 |
*Treating every word in the possible-answer list as equally likely.
A fully gray row is rarer with TRACE: it happens 10.7% of the time, against 16.1% for CLAST.
CLAST is not on the possible-answer list, so it cannot solve the game on turn one here. It can still be a useful guess.
Planning the second guess
After CLAST
All five letters miss 16.1% of the time, leaving 379 words in play. Of the 873 follow-ups checked here, RIONE leaves the fewest possible answers on average (7.7).
After TRACE
All five letters miss 10.7% of the time, leaving 253 words in play. Of the 753 follow-ups checked here, SOILY leaves the fewest possible answers on average (7.1).
How these two openers fit together
CLAST and TRACE share 3 letters (A, C, T). Played as a pair they cover 7 distinct letters, which still gives the second word room to do useful work.
Played back to back, CLAST then TRACE earns 7.82 bits of information in total, 2.00 bits more than the better word manages alone.
Past Wordle answers
- CLAST: Has not been a past Wordle answer in this site's history.
- TRACE: Answer to Wordle #179 on December 15, 2021. CLAST would have come back 🟨⬛🟩⬛🟨 that day, leaving 3 possible answers.
Common questions
- Which is a better starting word: CLAST or TRACE?
- In the current bounded policy screen, TRACE has the lower average in games the solver finished within six: 3.46 guesses versus 3.47 for CLAST. The same solver played from both words.
- What does entropy mean for CLAST vs TRACE?
- Entropy measures the information in the distribution of feedback outcomes. CLAST records 5.36 bits and TRACE records 5.82 bits. TRACE has the higher score, so its feedback distribution separates the possible answers more effectively on average. Entropy describes the opening row; it does not by itself predict how many guesses a game will take.
- How do CLAST and TRACE score against past Wordle answers?
- Across 1,858 past Wordle answers, CLAST left fewer possible answers than TRACE on 35% of days, TRACE did better on 63%, and the rest were ties. On average, CLAST left 117 candidates after the first guess and TRACE left 72.